Team Pau
We’ve recently partnered up with PAU to provide an exciting opportunity for young racers aged 14-17 in the 2023 season and beyond. We wanted to explain exactly why we’re so excited about the project…
How did the idea come about?
The guys at Pau got in touch with us, they’d seen our online Youth & Junior Development Programme & liked the idea behind it, particularly how accessible it was.
We all agreed that Cycling is a quintessential part of childhood and for some young people it becomes part of their social scene as they join clubs and get involved in local racing and other club activities. Then, once they reach the Junior categories racing becomes about travelling further and/or racing with the adults. Lots of the fun and camaraderie of the sport is lost, and with it (we think) are lots of young riders.
We wanted to try and prevent this loss by creating a community and way of supporting riders as they continue in their journeys through the sport.
The community
At the heart of the PAU project is its community. We’re aiming to create a supportive community of likeminded riders, that helps give young people the opportunity to be the best they can be within cycling. We want the community element to provide the social aspect that we, as coaches have all enjoyed so much throughout our time in cycling.
To do this, team Pau has funded 100 places on our Monday evening online coaching sessions. These sessions comprise of two elements, our turbo session and our education session.
The turbo sessions take place from 17:30-18:30, we use a Zwift workout which varies each week. The sessions are led online by one of our coaches, so they can give tips and advice along the way.
The online education sessions take place later on, 19:15-19:45. Again our coaches lead these sessions online, we talk through a wide range of cycling based subjects, we’re aiming to pass on our knowledge and experience gained through years in the sport. The aim is to make these sessions as accessible and engaging as possible. In addition to our coaching team (which includes former national champions and ex pro racers) we’ll be bringing guests along to deliver talks and give Q&A’s. In the past we’ve had people like John Herety (GB u23 manager) and Gabz Cullaigh (worldtour rider for Movistar) giving talks and answering riders questions.
The Support
In addition to the community element we’re also lucky to be able to offer targeted support for certain riders who excel or demonstrate excellence. We’re not just thinking of excellence in the sporting sense, it could be determination, willingness to engage, commitment etc.
Initially the support offered will be bespoke 1:1 coaching provided by us, however we have the scope in future to offer a wider range of support, travel expenses, equipment, race opportunities are all things we’re looking at.
We're keen to say that even supported riders are encouraged to keep racing in their own club jerseys. We know the important role that cycling clubs play in our sport and we want to support the work that clubs are doing. Ideally we want you to participate in the Team PAU community alongside the experiences you can enjoy with your local cycling club.
How does it work?
Riders sign up to the programme through the team pau website - https://teampau.co.uk/community-2/
You’ll then receive invites to the online sessions & can start getting involved straight away. Riders don’t have to attend every session, we appreciate that with races on the weekend or other commitments it’s not possible. But we do encourage riders to attend as often as they can. By engaging with the programme, you stand to gain more from it.
Team PAU, our cycling academy and our community are designed to keep young people involved in the sport of cycling at a life stage where people often drift away from the sport. It’s about giving young people the opportunity to be the best bike rider they can as part of a supportive community of like-minded riders. Along the way we hope to find some undiscovered talent for our supported riders, but the community we create is the most important thing.
How do I apply?
Applications to join the team PAU community can be made here.
What if I have questions?
If you have any questions at all, we’d love for you to get in touch with us. Either via email, [email protected] or via our social media channels.
